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Ratch · Posted: Wed 05 Aug 2009 19:02 pm Post subject:

Super conversions James

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Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Wed 05 Aug 2009 21:54 pm Post subject:

Very informative and equally impressive.....Looking forward to the next installment.

All the best
Sgt.S
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stuzzar · Posted: Thu 06 Aug 2009 13:24 pm Post subject:

A very impressive set of conversions, keep them coming

Cheers

Stu

James Russell · Posted: Sun 09 Aug 2009 02:11 am Post subject:

One of my three sets of Airfix US Paratroops is made of the rubbish polythene I associate with old ESCI mouldings. Figures appear to be bendy and fine – once I have started working with them, they begin to crumble! This isn’t plastic rot as I’m having this experience with brand-new figurines. So, as far as conversions are concerned I’m playing a little craps – or Russian roulette with three chambers. A little frustration then on the personnel front.
My finger has sufficiently healed from the insult when last I worked on the 6pdr. and I have fiddled with it some more. A disclaimer: I am about to start talking about the details of an artillery piece. I am not a cannon-cocker myself but I am pleased to have eaten in the same area as some in the past. I reserve the right to be wrong in identifying any parts of the 6 pdr.

Here’s a nice photo of our airborne 6pdr. VX275 was kind enough to share. Here are some of the changes that need to be made to our Airfix model:
1) Modify the muzzle break (model part 25)
2) Cut down the upper (35) and lower (7) shields
3) Shorten the axle (32)
4) Modify the towing ring (30)
5) Model the folding trail-legs (30, 31)

Here you see the upper gunshield (part 35) cut down, the muzzle-break modified from the mid-war “cone” type (I don’t know what it is called) to the late war “bulb” type (this is the one present on the end of both the 1.76 scale Matchbox Firefly and ATG models). I have seen a muzzle-break photo that appears to have the mid-baffle removed – so there is a big wide opening in the side of the muzzle break. I have also added finial bolts to the cam lever (?). These bolts are too large and so out of scale, but I didn’t want to leave the piece too plain - the way it was moulded. I have also opened up the top of the breach-block. I suppose I should also add a gun-nut (?) to the top of the breach. The ready use ammunition box (34) has been replaced by a little tool box or site box (?), and the little gun layer’s sighting shield has been opened up and a white card shield made. This shield should have a circle opening and an oblong opening also, as shown on our model. Earlier marks of 6 pdrs. and all the US M1 57mm ATG photos I have seen show just one opening like this.

I’m just imagining my paratroopers being in close fighting and wanting to see what is happening around them. These shields may have been good protection from shell-splinters, but I doubt they were much protection against a determined man armed with a Mauser 98K at medium to close range. Such bullets could bore through 15-20" of pinewood! I'm sure an MG42's attention would shut the crew down. Still, I'm sure no one would have refused the benefit of these shields if offered.

Here are the shortened axle, cut-down lower shield, and the beginnings of the modifications to the trail legs. I have removed the towing ring. These pieces were to be towed by Jeeps, but the trail spades didn’t have sufficient clearance unless either the hook was raised or the ring was lowered. It probably made great sense to bring the 6pdr.’s ring lower than to go around raising every Jeep towing hook in the Allied Airborne Army. I haven’t gotten any further with this aspect of the project – something for next time.
The rear trail legs of the 6pdr. were modified by being cut in half and hinging them on a socket joint in the centre. This allowing for less room to be taken up in glider transit.
This little project could get complicated if a modeller wanted to show these trails folded, but being something of a wargamer, I’m pleased to have the piece in condition ready to fire. In this scale the parts are not much more than over-glorified triangles cut out of sheet plastic. I cut a scrape out of the top of the legs (30, 31) so the ten thou plastic sheet bits wouldn’t stand too proud of the trail leg tops. I’m not capable of the sort of precision necessary to render accuracy in this scale, but for those interested in refinements the piece should look like this:

I hope you can see the “scale indication” which is the width of the Airfix trail leg. I then placed plastic rod above and below to represent the socket bolts.

That’s it for tonight. More soon.

stuzzar · Posted: Sun 09 Aug 2009 07:32 am Post subject:

Splendid

Cheers

Stu

Pat · White Star Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Posts: 81

A very instructive conversion indeed - thanks for sharing! Regards, Pat

James Russell · Posted: Sun 23 Aug 2009 20:07 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the kind comments. I've been plowed-under with work lately. The story continues a little bit . . .
The US Airborne divisions in Normandy were beneficiaries of decisions made in British ordnance debates earlier in the war. When the British airborne forces were being provisioned in 1942, it was decided to search for some anti-tank weaponry heavier than what was currently available to infantry units (Boys ATR and 2pdr. ATG). Numerous guns were considered. At one point captured Italian 47mm guns (Cannone da 47/32 M35) were seriously suggested as candidates because they could be broken down into man-portable loads (Austrian pack guns as they were; the Italians manufactured them under license).

I suspect a gun shield and pneumatic tyres would have been considered had this route been taken in providing an anti-tank gun, but then again, perhaps not. Though not a bad piece, the 47mm would soon be eclipsed by tanks with heavier and heavier armour.
Finally, the 6 pdr was chosen, but needed modification. In its standard form it would not fit into the Horsa glider’s fuselage (I have found all sorts of dimensions for the Horsa, but not the one that would be most interesting here: does anyone know what the hold dimensions were?). So as to make the gun fit, a few 6 pdr. gun carriages were modified and were known as the Mk 3 (airborne) carriage, the principle change being shortening the axle. Other changes included the removal of the fixed frontal shield to allow for the wheels to be set closer together and the elevation wheel was moved above the sights and turned off to the left. The rear trail legs were modified; cut in half and hinged on a socket joint in the centre. Thus the trails could be folded and take less room in transit.
When finally on the ground, other alterations helped the gun be useful. To allow for the trail spades to clear the ground when being towed by jeeps a modified trail eye was fitted. The jeeps used to tow these guns also had to carry the ammunition cases. Unlike the M1 57mm ATGs of the rest of the US Army which only had available AP shot, the Airborne were issued both Armour Piercing and British High Explosive (it was not until 1945 that Armour Piercing Discard Sabot shot was issued enabling the gun to pierce armour 146mm thick at 1000 yards).

This is my little flying 6 next to her conventional Airfix sister right out of the box. I still have work to do: elevation wheel and tow-ring. It will have to wait. I’m going to France on Tuesday and hope to find one of these guns at the US Airborne Museum in St. Marie Eglise.

I’ll post again in two weeks.

Pat · White Star Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Posts: 81

Jams, thanks for the update, I had been looking for these details for long but found neither books nor websites showing them clearly.

May I asked how you managed to glue the wheels on? In your second "red carpet photo", the shortened axle seems to lack all of the wheel attachment rods (for lack of a better word). Regards, Pat

loftfullofmodels · Posted: Mon 24 Aug 2009 09:43 am Post subject:

Excellent James

Great work

You have some much appreciated conversion details both figures and the 6pdr to inspire me into doing something at last with the attached and at least one of my A/T guns.

Yes that price tag IS thirty new pence......In a Galaxy a long time ago lived a man who started models but never fin ...

Cheers
Mike (Loftfullof........ empty Airfix packaging. Might have a couple for the history section....)

Click to see full size image
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James Russell · Posted: Mon 24 Aug 2009 16:28 pm Post subject:

Many thanks for the interest Pat and Mike. I have not found any proper dimensions for these conversions – that is why I love 1.76 scale and 1960s building techniques. With my skill level I’m right at home in this environment.
The axle is an “eyeball” estimation. The airborne 6pdr.’s axle and shields were shortened to make the piece the same width as a jeep. That one piece of information and my interpretation of photographs is all my authority. VX275’s great profile photo of the piece has been a big help, but for the axle it wasn’t going to help.
Here’s how you know I flunked drafting in school:

Approximately 1/16” must be removed from each side of the axle (part 32). I needed to do this in two stages because I under-shot the first time. The inner cuts I made were the originals; taking the axle pieces between the “L” shaped wheel mounts and the bands that appear halfway down the axle on either side. I took to the parts with a pin-vice drill and then inserted a brass wire through the axle for added strength. This photo shows the piece before I discovered I hadn’t shortened the axle sufficiently:

When complete it didn’t look like enough had been removed. I waited until the piece was good and dry and then took it apart and made the second set of reductions (this amounted to shaving down the “L” pieces).
I don’t know that I can recommend this – you will be better off just hacking the right amount out from the start. Though shaving down the “L” bits does make for a more delicate look.

Good luck with your conversion.

T16S · Posted: Mon 24 Aug 2009 23:24 pm Post subject:

This is cracking stuff on the 6pdr- keep it up please
cheers Stuart

Pat · White Star Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Posts: 81

James, many thanks for showing us how it's done. It might well be within my capabilities!

Now if someone would give us good replacement wheels... Regards, Pat

James Russell · Posted: Wed 16 Sep 2009 19:59 pm Post subject:

Dear all,
I'm back from France - have some nice photos. Unfortunately, work has reared its ugly head!

My paratroopers will have to be AWOL for a few weeks until I can return to the work bench.

Best of luck and enjoyment with your D-Day projects! This has been a fine group to model with.

I'll look forward to continuing the pre-invasion work with the other stragglers.